When it comes to shaping the sound of gothic metal, Paradise Lost stand in a league of their own. Formed in Halifax in 1988, the band carved a path from doom-laden beginnings into a genre-defining legacy that’s inspired generations of artists. Now, in 2025, the kings of the dark return with their seventeenth studio album, Ascension, set for release on September 19th via Nuclear Blast Records.
I had the chance to chat with frontman Nick Holmes about the record, the band’s journey, and what keeps Paradise Lost driven more than three decades in.
The Weight of Ascension
Produced by guitarist Gregor Mackintosh at Black Planet Studios in East Yorkshire, with drums and vocals tracked in Sweden, Ascension is a record steeped in both tradition and reinvention. Across ten tracks, Paradise Lost embrace the full spectrum of their sound: crushing doom riffs, gothic melancholy, and sweeping melody, all tied together by Nick’s unmistakable voice.
Themes of Life, Death, and Cycles
The artwork — an old master painting depicting a child in the lap of death — sets the tone. It’s a stark reminder of mortality, one mirrored in songs like “Serpent on the Cross”, which mixes innocence and negativity, and “Silence Like The Grave”, which examines the futility of war and humanity’s endless cycle of mistakes.
Other standouts include “Tyrant Serenade”, balancing simplicity with grandeur, and “Savage Days”, a bittersweet reflection on loss and memory with a stripped-back, acoustic undercurrent.
Paradise Lost in 2025
With nearly 40 years behind them, Paradise Lost show no signs of slowing. Nick emphasized that the band’s process hasn’t really changed since their teenage years: “If we like it, it stays. That’s always been the rule.”
The band’s rhythm of releasing an album every 3–5 years remains intact, with tours stretching up to 18 months at a time. Drummer Jeff Singer has returned to the lineup after time away with family, and the band is preparing for a run of European dates this October, with North American touring to follow in early 2026.
And for fans Down Under? Nick was quick to share his hope to return to Australia within the next couple of years.
The Legacy Continues
Seventeen albums deep, Ascension doesn’t just reaffirm Paradise Lost’s mastery of gothic metal — it shows a band still evolving, still pushing themselves, and still unafraid to stare into the shadows.
For a band defined by melancholy, Paradise Lost’s enduring passion is proof that even in the darkest music, there’s a fire that refuses to go out.
Ascension arrives on September 19, 2025 via Nuclear Blast Records.
👉 Pre-order Ascension here: https://paradiselost.bfan.link/ascension
